The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

Before Mr. Justice Park.

368.   JOHN WALKER was indicted for stealing, on the 24th of November , 1 tea-urn, value 5l., and 4 yards of woollen cloth, value 1l. 12s., the goods of   Joseph Lovell , to whom he was an apprentice , in his dwelling-house .

  JOSEPH LOVELL . I am a coach-maker , and live at  Uxbridge . On the 26th of November I missed a plated tea-urn, about four yards of woollen cloth, and several other things; my shop is part of my dwelling-house, except the show-shop, which is across the yard - the cloth was in a place separate from the house; it was in a shed in the yard, which has no internal communication with the house; the urn was in the dwelling-house - it is worth 5l.; it was a present - I had had it twenty years; it was plated, with silver edges -I only heard what it cost; the prisoner is my apprentice - he has been so nearly four years, and lived in my house; he left quite unexpectedly; I had left home on Monday morning, the 24th, and returned on Wednesday, the 26th, and he was gone - he had gone home on the Sunday to dine with his father, as usual, and I left about ten o'clock on Monday; he had not come home then - he used to return on the Sunday evening; on the 26th I found he had not come home; I missed, among other things, a silver tea-spoon; on the Tuesday following my return home, I received by the coach the tea-ura and cloth - I had seen the cloth in my work-shop shortly before.

MRS.   ELIZABETH LOVELL . I am the prosecutor's wife. On Sunday morning, the 24th of November, I saw the teaurn in the house; I missed it on the Wednesday following -I had not gone away with my husband; we kept it in the cupboard under the side-board, but it had been taken out the day before - I missed one tea-spoon.

  RICHARD KIMBER . I am a silversmith, and live at Uxbridge. I bought part of a tea-spoon of a man named Grange; I gave it to the officer; I think it was on Monday, the 24th.

  HENRY GRANGE . I took part of a tea-spoon to Kimber's; I received it from   William Barnett , not from the prisoner - I did not see him about it.

Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. Barnett was taken up? - A. Yes.

  THOMAS BEESTON . I live with Mr. Jones, a pawnbroker, of Broad-street, Bloomsbury. This urn was brought to me, on the 28th of November, by a man, who gave his name   John Yates ; the prisoner was not with him - I know nothing of the prisoner; I took it in pledge from Yates - I sent it up stairs, and in about two days it was delivered to two gentlemen, whom I have since seen at Uxbridge; one of them was named Stranson.

Cross-examined by MR. PHILLIPS. Q. Would not 4l. be a fair value for the urn? A. It is difficult to say - it might fetch more or less; I might be disposed to give 4l. for it, but to sell, it might not be worth that.

  JOHN FARRANT . I am a constable. I went in search of the prisoner, but Mr. Stranson took him.

  JOHN BARNES . I am a workman of Mr. Lovell's. After the prisoner was taken into custody, I went to him, in the cage; I did not hold out either threat or promise to him - he spoke to me first, and asked what master and mistress said about his going away, and about the things; I told him all mistress cared about was the tea-urn, as her father had given it to her when a child, and she was afraid it was

broken up; he said, "No, it is not; tell mistress it is safe, and to-morrow morning, when you bring my breakfast, at half-past eight o'clock, I will tell you where it is;" I was to take his breakfast to the cage, and next morning, when I took it, he told me the urn was in pledge at Mr. Jones', in Fore-street, leading to Oxford-street, for 10s.; that one of the silk gowns was in pawn in London-street for 4s., and another at Reading, with two of master's shirts wrapped in it, for 5s.; that the cruet-stand was at the girl's sister's, whom he went away with - he did not say who she was.

Cross-examined. Q. Did he tell you he had pledged it? A. No; he said it was pledged; I know Dexter - he was not present at the conversation; he plays the flute in the Middlesex band; I did not tell the prisoner it would be better for him to tell me about it - nobody was present.

Prisoner's Defence. Dexter was present.

  THOMAS DEXTER . I belong to the West Middlesex Militia. I was at the cage with the prisoner and Barnes -I was at work near there for Mr. Collyer, painting a cart; Barnes gave  Walker some breakfast; Walker desired him to give Barnett some - he would not; he at last allowed me to give him some - I then went back; Barnes was kneeling across the bar of the step, and said, "You had better tell where the things are:" Walker made him some answer, which I could not undersand - he said, "You had better tell, for there is a man coming forward where you offered the cloth for sale:" he then said the urn was at Jones', either in Fore-street, or Forth-street.

COURT. Q. What business had you at the cage? A. Curiosity led me there; Barnett was in a separate cell - I was absent part of the time.

GUILTY. Aged 16.

Of stealing to the value of 99s. only .

Transported for Seven Years .